Packers mulling options at backup quarterback

Sep. 1, 2013

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The Packers trimmed their roster to 53 players on Saturday, but chances are they arenít finished tweaking their team yet.

General manager Ted Thompson, who will hold a press conference today at 2 p.m., no doubt is searching for a potential No. 2 quarterback.

Does anyone think the Packers will go into the regular season with B.J. Coleman as their only backup to Aaron Rodgers? Coleman completed just 41.2 percent of his preseason passes and posted a 49.6 passer rating. He clearly could use another year of seasoning.

Here are some of the Packersí options:

*They determine that if Rodgers gets hurt, their season is shot anyway, so they throw caution to the wind, stick with Coleman and hope nothing happens to their starter. Itís a risky proposition, but something Thompson has been willing to do in the past. Last year he went with Graham Harrell, who essentially had no NFL experience. Rodgers has missed only one game in five seasons due to injury, so he has proven to be durable. But does that mean the law of averages will catch up with the Packers, especially at the high rate Rodgers was sacked last season?

*They trade for Matt Flynn, the Packersí former backup who for the second straight season has failed to earn the starting job with another team. Last year Flynn got beat out by Russell Wilson in Seattle. This year, it appears Terrelle Pryor beat him out in Oakland. Could Thompson coax Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie to trade Flynn for a late-round draft choice?

*They pick up a veteran quarterback that was cut. The list is long, and not very impressive, but maybe the Packers will bring someone in that can spend a month or two learning the offense and be ready to play later in the season. It would probably mean they would keep Coleman on the 53-man roster for early-season emergency purposes. To make room for an extra quarterback, the Packers could go with just seven offensive linemen, meaning Lane Taylor would most likely be the odd man out.

Here is the list of some of the available quarterbacks: Jimmy Clausen, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, Trent Edwards, David Carr, John Skelton and Caleb Hanie.

No one on that list is a world-beater but might be a better option than Coleman for later in the season.